A regularly scheduled weekly blog is officially out, as I am sure people have figured out quickly. I will likely end up posting about once a week and half, but it will be there when it shows up. Anyway, without further ado…
I have been in Surabaya for almost two weeks now. I am settling in nicely and trying to gather the courage to venture further than walking distance.
Last week on Tuesday, one of the school’s four vice-principals picked me up and took me to the teacher’s holiday party (celebrating the end of Ramadan). Everyone was very friendly, but there was a lot of talking in Bahasa (which I didn’t understand) and mostly I just sat there smiling. I am not entirely sure, but I think there was a religious comedian—I say this because he was clearly telling funny stories accompanied with laughter interspersed with what sounded like religious chanting. Towards the beginning, I introduced myself to the teachers in a mixture of English and Bahasa—which went over well. They served fish, but my counterpart knew I do not like fish, so they had some chicken especially for me.
After the party, I visited my counterpart’s home and met his wife, sons, and mother-in-law. His mother-in-law has a food stall in front of the house and they made me a plate of gado-gado. Gado-gado is a local dish that is a mixture of different things (lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, tofu, boiled eggs, etc)—the base is a rice concoction steamed in banana leafs. I liked it (but I ate around the tomatoes).
The next day (Wednesday) was my first day of school. It was also the first day back from holiday break. There was a flag ceremony in which I introduced myself to the students. Afterwards, it was time for the tradition of asking forgiveness for the past year’s transgressions. This involves a variation of shaking hands and young people generally perform it on elders. So, the teachers were in a line (me, too) and the 500 students streamed by shaking hands with us and then formed their own line at the end of the teachers to shake hands with each other. People shake hands all the time: to say hello and good-bye! Also, the children take the hand of an adult and lift it to their forehead, cheek, nose, or mouth (I have seen variations of each). At first, they just shook my hand, but one the teachers told them to do the bow, hand lift thing to me, so I think there is probably no getting out of it. It is cultural, but it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. I know it is just a sign of respect, but it appears to my American sensibilities as a sign of superiority.
I am still just visiting school. I don’t start to teach until next week on Monday. On the second day (Thursday), I was observing the first class of the day, when one of the vice-principals came in with scissors. At first, she went around to the boys checking for bracelets—if they had one, she cut it off. So, I am feeling not very comfortable because in the States the bracelets would have been confiscated, not destroyed. Well, it was about to get worse. After cutting off the bracelets, she precedes to start chopping at the boys’ hair right there in the classroom if their hair was too long. Apparently, this is a weekly occurrence—I learned later that it generally occurs on Monday after the regular flag ceremony.
Another interesting tidbit is the list in the teacher’s lounge. There is a paper posted for all to see with everyone’s salary including any loans they have with the bank and/or school cooperative, what payments they owe (monthly amount and the number of payments left), and their take-home pay at the end of the month.
Everyone at the school is very nice. There are only squat toilets and only AC in the office (where I don’t spend a lot of time). Some of the classes get very hot. As I am riding to school at 6 am, the temperature is not too bad and it stays bearable until about 8 (by which time it is over 90). The poor students stay in one class and it must get really boring and hot. From the classes I have observed there is very little engagement of the students and it is too easy for weaker students to just fall by the wayside. (On the every cloud has a silver lining side, I am hopeful that the low standards for classroom excitement will make anything I do great fun.)
On Monday morning, I tried the bemo (the local name for angkots, public transportation) for my trek to school. One of the household helpers went with me on the trip. We got on one on the nearest main road, and then we got off and walked to a nearby terminal. We got on another bemo and then waited. Often at terminals, the driver will wait for a full van—fortunately, the driver only a few minutes and we headed out. We picked up several ore passengers along the way, but we were going at a very slow pace. Soon we stopped altogether. The driver got out and stuck a stick in his gas tank—guess what? We were out of gas. So, here we are blocking traffic and the driver is running down the road off to buy gas. About this time, I receive a text message from my counterpart asking when I am coming to school. Back runs the driver carrying several glass bottles and part of a hose attached to a funnel. After a few tense moments, he hops back in and attempts to start the bemo. Yes, I used the word “attempt” because, of course, the vehicle would not start. But after several tries and maybe a few prayers, we are on our way again. After this experience, I have decided to avail myself of the motorbike rides offered by school. I get door-to-door service, but have to be at school when it opens and stay until the end, even if I don’t strictly need to be there for classes (but I figure that is part of the job, the other teachers have to be there). Overall, the motorbike is faster and far less hot. Also, I only need to pay for gas money every week, rather than worry about having enough small bills everyday for the bemo. (But not to worry, I have a helmet and the drivers go slower with me riding).
Although I live in a very nice part of Surabaya, it is mostly a residential area—so there are not a lot of easy, cheap transportation close by (at least that I can easily figure out). I think sometime soon, one of the helpers is going to ride the bemo with me again, so I can figure it out some of the routes.
My birthday was very nice. I have received several of the cards I know are coming. (I will let you know when I receive a card, if you sent one.) One Sunday, several of the local ETAs came to visit and one made me a cake—it was a great surprise.
Some observations. I am sure that everyone knows that rice is a staple of the Indonesian diet. Well, heaven forbid that I should not want rice with lunch or dinner. I have had noodles for dinner a few times and one of the helpers always ask why I do not have rice, too. I try to explain that noodles are enough—I don’t think trying to explain carbohydrates would go over very well.
Everyone at school knows this one English phase that they have been saying to me since the teacher’s party—it is “I love you ____.” It is from some famous Indonesian singer. At first, I thought they were saying “I love you beautiful” which I thought was very nice. But then I realized that the word was not that long and thought it was “I love you fool.” Which did not strike me as quite as nice, but I know that it was just a phase that they knew. Well, just two days ago I learned that the phase is actually “I love you full,” which is back to nice. Someone says that to me at least twice a day.
Dogs are not considered clean animals in Muslim culture, so they are not frequently kept as pets. But some people do have them. Anyway, I have seen a few strays and they are all purebreds—dogs that would cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in the States. It struck me as strange, but I quickly realized that only the wealthy would keep dogs as pets and of course they would buy purebreds. So, I guess they were some abandoned rich family’s pet. However, there are cats everywhere. Not really kept as pets, just wondering around after scraps.
During the classes I have observed, the teacher often offers the students the chance to ask me questions. I have received the standard questions: what’s my favorite movie, song, band, actor, etc; where am I from; where do I live in Surabaya, etc, etc. The two most interesting questions are: Is America or Indonesia better? (Not sure if this wording is a miscommunication or a serious cultural idea—I answer by saying one is not better than the other, just different) and the kicker was received today: What do I think of Malaysia stealing Indonesian culture? So, if you are unaware, there is some bad blood between Malaysia and Indonesia over which country and people are the true owners of certain cultural things prevalent in the area. Last month, the UN cultural something or other, officially proclaimed batik (which is a traditional method of fabric dying using wax—which is very popular here) to belong to Indonesia’s cultural heritage. Of course, claiming ownership is not an easy matter and the area saw so much trade and sea travel during its long history, but I think I will avoid a discussion of the evolution of culture and how aspects can belong to multiple to people without theft being involved because it is a very serious matter here. (But no worries, I lived in Baltimore for two years where the mention of the Indianapolis Colts could cause serious hard feelings, so I know how to avoid certain topics).
There are also a lot of bugs here. I am pretty lucky because the helpers here stray the indoors and take care of any infestations (unlike many of the other Fulbrighters who must take care of their own bug problems). But there is a courtyard set-up here and the primarily restroom and shower is somewhat outdoors (in that I have to walk outside to get to it and it is open on the side, but there are doors) and bugs crawl up into the area occasionally. The ants are not awful, there are lots, but they are little. The yucky one is, I am pretty sure, some kind of cockroach, but I are calling them beetles because it makes me feel better. (You can call me silly if you want but semantics comforts me). Anyway, these “beetles” have accompanied me to the restroom and once in the shower. It is not pleasant, but I have survived. But today, I innocently sat down to take care of some “business” and turned the toilet paper roll and there, pretty as you please, crouched a “beetle.” Well, that was just a little too much for me; I can handle them on the floor but not any higher. I quickly vacated and, just like a squeamish girl, asked one of the helpers to get rid of it for me.
Cassandra’s Firsts:
First time to ride a motorbike of any kind (I never did in the States, but they are more prevalent here). First time I witnessed a classroom in a foreign country (Makes me appreciative of American schools. Unfortunately, if students are not involved in class or do not do the work, they are labeled as lazy—it is never considered that they may not to understand or that the teacher has failed to engage them). First time to try so many foods I cannot even keep count (people at school frequently bring in food for others to share and I have no idea what exactly many of the things I have tried in the last two weeks actually are). First time to see a school official cut a student’s hair (Wow, I had no idea what to do when it started happening).
Here is a list of foods I know I have tried: boiled bananas (not bad, pretty sure it is a special kind that gets boiled), papaya (I actually don’t like it, but it is suppose to help certain stomach issues that I am currently having, so I am forcing it down—it is getting easier), all kinds of things made of rice, soto (which I thing is some kind of soup, but good), red and black soup (both have Indonesian names which escape me right now)—and countless other things that people stuck in front of me and asked me to try.
Well, that is all for now. Not sure when my next blog post will be—likely sometime late next week. Hope all is well for everyone in the States. Sampai Jumpa (Good-bye).
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Surabaya--I Made It!
I meant to post this Morning evening (morning for you), but of course after checking my email the internet went all wonky and I spent the next hour of my life trying to get it back. Seems to be working this morning, so here you go. Love, Cassie
It seems like my pattern is to write on blog on Sunday, but feel too tired to get it online. So if you are looking for my blog on Sunday and is not up, I’m sorry—there will likely be a new post within a few days. Again a busy week.
We had Tuesday off because of the holiday and my friends and I decided to visit a volcano as it would be our last opportunity before leaving Bandung. Although Idul Friti was on Sunday, the holiday and celebration lasts for over a week. Many schools are still closed. A group of ETAs had visited the volcano the first weekend we’re in Bandung. It took them one hour to get there—it took us over 4 hours because of the traffic. The car was suppose to take us to the top, but there were so many cars that we got out and walked. It was steep and within minutes my calf muscles locked up. It was not too far to the top, but there were so many people—masses and masses—it was difficult to get through. It was neat to be at the vocano, but after the long ride and crowds, we were ready to go. However, we had already left our driver who was going to meet us at the end of the hiking trail; we were not really sure where to go. I started talking with a man selling sourveirs—turns out he was also a guide. The group that came before us said it was a nice, easy hike down. Apparently, I have very different standards. Although most of it was downhill, it was extremely uneven and not always stable. I felt like an ill-equipped mountain goat. Fortunately, our guide was very nice and helped me for most of the trek down. (Saving me from disaster at least 3 times). Once we made it to the car, it took over 2 and half hours to get back to the hotel. I am glad we went, but it was quite a day.
On Wednesday, our counterparts (the Indonesian teachers from our assigned schools) arrived. My counterpart is a man named Supratman. He teaches the 12th grade, but I will be teaching the 10th grade. ETAs are not allowed to teach the 12th because the primary focus in this grade is passing the standardized test at the end of the year and AMINEF does not want to waste native speakers on students concerned chiefly with tests. There are nine 10th grade classes at my school with about 38 students per class. I am teaching each class once a week. And for those unable to do math in their head (like me, who totally used a calculator to figure this out) that is around 350 students I will be teaching each week. Table tents with names are mostly definitely a priority.
I am in a senior high school (which is grades 10-12) with 850 students total. The school is renovating and there is a shortage of classrooms. Grades 10 and 12 go to school in the morning and grade 11 in the afternoon. The plan is for the building to be finished in January for the 2nd semester. We shall see.
Class begins at 6:30 am and I shall be teaching at least twice a week at this hour (pause for gasp). There is normally not school on Saturday at my school, but there is now because of the renovating. Also, I will only have to work in the mornings because that is when 10th grade class meets at this time. When the renovating is done, if I am still here, there will be a different schedule. The other the duty I have is the English Club, but I am still not certain when that meets. There is also a chance that I will be teaching the teachers English. The school is trying to obtain an international standard, which in Indonesia means that at least two subjects (outside English) are taught in English—generally these are science classes.
On Saturday, I traveled to Surabaya with my counterpart. I am living with a very nice (and wealthy) family. There is a large house—rather like a compound, in that there are different sections and a locked gate. I am living in the guest section and there is a swimming pool I can use. There is a grandmother that is my “Indonesian mother.” I am living in her son’s house with his three children. The eldest just started university, the second just started senior high school, and the third (and only boy) is 8. I am still feeling my way around as the culture in Java is polite to the point of saying you may do things that they would rather you not do. Hopefully, I come across the boundaries gently without any major faux pas.
There is a very nice mall within walking distance with a movie theater, trustworthy drug stores (prescriptions are not required in Indonesia and in some of the stores, you are taking a chance in what you are getting), a grocery store, and an English bookstore. I have not yet gone further than the mall (which is about a 5 minute walk)—we shall see how quickly I set out on adventures.
Today (my Monday) the other ETA in Surabaya came to see me with her counterpart. They are about an hour away by public transportation (called bemo here)—which I have yet to experience here in Surabaya, but I hear it is just like Bandung with the little buses. My counterpart will take me to school for a few days and then one of the servants (from now on I will be using the word helpers, because servant is just too strange for me) will help me figure out to get to school on the bemo.
My school starts classes on Wednesday from the holiday break for the end of Ramadan. There is a teacher party tomorrow (my Tuesday) to which I have been invited. I found out today that I need to cover my hair for the party, so I have to borrow something from my host mother because I have nothing suitable. There are 72 teachers at the school. Already I am having trouble with remembering and pronouncing names—I hope that I do not make a fool of myself, but when I do (and I do) people just laugh. At least I am amusing.
Cassandra’s Firsts:
1) First time to drive an angkot (the public transportation in Bandung)—my friends and I were the only ones on the angkot and we were talking with the driver and his friend with our limited Bahasa. The friend asked if we wanted to drive and one of my friends said yes jokingly—turns out he was not kidding and they let us climb over and steer (the driver was still there and we weren’t in complete control but we could turn—it was fun).
2) First time to sing Karaoke. I never did it in the States. It was a blast. A couple people put it together for our last night in Bandung. I sang “Barbie Girl” and “Old Time Rock ‘n Roll” by Bob Serger—not by myself and not well, but fun.
3) First time in Surabaya.
4) First time to eat jack fruit. It is different. I don’t not like it, but it is not an instant favorite.
5) First time I walked in Surabaya by myself. A helper walked me to the mall and I walked back by myself. Like I said, it is not far and I only got slightly misplaced. The helper wrote down the address for me and I showed it to one of the guards in the neighborhood and he pointed me to the correct street.
Well, I think that is all for now. Next week I should be able to tell you about my school and the students. I have two weeks to observe before I am required to teach, but on next Monday during the flag ceremony (not sure exactly what that is yet) I am introducing myself to the school. Keep me in your thoughts and/or prayers.
It seems like my pattern is to write on blog on Sunday, but feel too tired to get it online. So if you are looking for my blog on Sunday and is not up, I’m sorry—there will likely be a new post within a few days. Again a busy week.
We had Tuesday off because of the holiday and my friends and I decided to visit a volcano as it would be our last opportunity before leaving Bandung. Although Idul Friti was on Sunday, the holiday and celebration lasts for over a week. Many schools are still closed. A group of ETAs had visited the volcano the first weekend we’re in Bandung. It took them one hour to get there—it took us over 4 hours because of the traffic. The car was suppose to take us to the top, but there were so many cars that we got out and walked. It was steep and within minutes my calf muscles locked up. It was not too far to the top, but there were so many people—masses and masses—it was difficult to get through. It was neat to be at the vocano, but after the long ride and crowds, we were ready to go. However, we had already left our driver who was going to meet us at the end of the hiking trail; we were not really sure where to go. I started talking with a man selling sourveirs—turns out he was also a guide. The group that came before us said it was a nice, easy hike down. Apparently, I have very different standards. Although most of it was downhill, it was extremely uneven and not always stable. I felt like an ill-equipped mountain goat. Fortunately, our guide was very nice and helped me for most of the trek down. (Saving me from disaster at least 3 times). Once we made it to the car, it took over 2 and half hours to get back to the hotel. I am glad we went, but it was quite a day.
On Wednesday, our counterparts (the Indonesian teachers from our assigned schools) arrived. My counterpart is a man named Supratman. He teaches the 12th grade, but I will be teaching the 10th grade. ETAs are not allowed to teach the 12th because the primary focus in this grade is passing the standardized test at the end of the year and AMINEF does not want to waste native speakers on students concerned chiefly with tests. There are nine 10th grade classes at my school with about 38 students per class. I am teaching each class once a week. And for those unable to do math in their head (like me, who totally used a calculator to figure this out) that is around 350 students I will be teaching each week. Table tents with names are mostly definitely a priority.
I am in a senior high school (which is grades 10-12) with 850 students total. The school is renovating and there is a shortage of classrooms. Grades 10 and 12 go to school in the morning and grade 11 in the afternoon. The plan is for the building to be finished in January for the 2nd semester. We shall see.
Class begins at 6:30 am and I shall be teaching at least twice a week at this hour (pause for gasp). There is normally not school on Saturday at my school, but there is now because of the renovating. Also, I will only have to work in the mornings because that is when 10th grade class meets at this time. When the renovating is done, if I am still here, there will be a different schedule. The other the duty I have is the English Club, but I am still not certain when that meets. There is also a chance that I will be teaching the teachers English. The school is trying to obtain an international standard, which in Indonesia means that at least two subjects (outside English) are taught in English—generally these are science classes.
On Saturday, I traveled to Surabaya with my counterpart. I am living with a very nice (and wealthy) family. There is a large house—rather like a compound, in that there are different sections and a locked gate. I am living in the guest section and there is a swimming pool I can use. There is a grandmother that is my “Indonesian mother.” I am living in her son’s house with his three children. The eldest just started university, the second just started senior high school, and the third (and only boy) is 8. I am still feeling my way around as the culture in Java is polite to the point of saying you may do things that they would rather you not do. Hopefully, I come across the boundaries gently without any major faux pas.
There is a very nice mall within walking distance with a movie theater, trustworthy drug stores (prescriptions are not required in Indonesia and in some of the stores, you are taking a chance in what you are getting), a grocery store, and an English bookstore. I have not yet gone further than the mall (which is about a 5 minute walk)—we shall see how quickly I set out on adventures.
Today (my Monday) the other ETA in Surabaya came to see me with her counterpart. They are about an hour away by public transportation (called bemo here)—which I have yet to experience here in Surabaya, but I hear it is just like Bandung with the little buses. My counterpart will take me to school for a few days and then one of the servants (from now on I will be using the word helpers, because servant is just too strange for me) will help me figure out to get to school on the bemo.
My school starts classes on Wednesday from the holiday break for the end of Ramadan. There is a teacher party tomorrow (my Tuesday) to which I have been invited. I found out today that I need to cover my hair for the party, so I have to borrow something from my host mother because I have nothing suitable. There are 72 teachers at the school. Already I am having trouble with remembering and pronouncing names—I hope that I do not make a fool of myself, but when I do (and I do) people just laugh. At least I am amusing.
Cassandra’s Firsts:
1) First time to drive an angkot (the public transportation in Bandung)—my friends and I were the only ones on the angkot and we were talking with the driver and his friend with our limited Bahasa. The friend asked if we wanted to drive and one of my friends said yes jokingly—turns out he was not kidding and they let us climb over and steer (the driver was still there and we weren’t in complete control but we could turn—it was fun).
2) First time to sing Karaoke. I never did it in the States. It was a blast. A couple people put it together for our last night in Bandung. I sang “Barbie Girl” and “Old Time Rock ‘n Roll” by Bob Serger—not by myself and not well, but fun.
3) First time in Surabaya.
4) First time to eat jack fruit. It is different. I don’t not like it, but it is not an instant favorite.
5) First time I walked in Surabaya by myself. A helper walked me to the mall and I walked back by myself. Like I said, it is not far and I only got slightly misplaced. The helper wrote down the address for me and I showed it to one of the guards in the neighborhood and he pointed me to the correct street.
Well, I think that is all for now. Next week I should be able to tell you about my school and the students. I have two weeks to observe before I am required to teach, but on next Monday during the flag ceremony (not sure exactly what that is yet) I am introducing myself to the school. Keep me in your thoughts and/or prayers.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Getting Closer to Surabaya
I have survived yet another week of extensive language and teacher training. I have picked up a few words of Bahasa but have not studied enough to be comfortable speaking. The teacher training (while not exciting) went will. I have taught a group of my peers without embarrassing myself.
Yesterday (my Sunday) I went hiking into an area outside of Bandung that has caves the Japanese used during WWII and then hiked up to see a waterfall. It was beautiful but I can feel all those hills today.
Yesterday was also Idul Friti (holiday celebrating end of Ramadan). On Saturday night, a group of us went to Dago Tea House for dinner. It had private huts with a platform to sit with a low table. I had sate ayam (which is grilled chicken with peanut sauce--very tasty). It was located on the top of a hill and we could hear all the city's calls to prayer. The eve of Idul Friti is very festive and we could see lots of fireworks that people set off and the drive back to the hotel was though streets full of families. While I normally see motorbikes with an abundance of people, on Saturday most of the bikes had entire families as people travelled to be with extended family. All night I could hear music and fireworks from my hotel room (don't worry, it didn't keep me awake).
Now, a little more on culture. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, religion is a key component of life in Indonesia. There are five recognized religions: Islam, Judaism, Christianity (both Protestant and Catholic), Hinduism, and Buddhism. One's religion is listed on ID cards and while it is not entirely clear, I am pretty sure if you live here, you must be one of these religions (at least officially). Now, if you were living here, you can simply list yourself as whatever and no one checks up to be sure you actually believe such and such. There is also no civil ceremony for marriage here--all marriage must be performed by a religious official and only people of the same religion can marry. We asked what happens when two people of different faiths fall in love and were told that does occasionally happen. The couple must travel outside the country to marry (Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, etc). So, obviously, if you are not fairly wealthy marriage outside your religion is not an option. Conversion is possible, so I guess that is an option.
I didn't do a lot this week (we do get the mall pretty frequently), but here is the continuation of Cassandra's Firsts:
First time I participated in a traditional Indonesian birthday ritual (apparently, children here throw eggs and flour at the birthday boy or girl [it is a ritual for kids only, I think] to celebrate birthdays, I am not sure about the purpose, but one of the guys had a birthday and thought this would be fun, so some of the others did it, I only watched). First time I peer taught (like I said earlier, it went fine and I am pretty sure I can handle a class of Indonesian teenagers, if I say that enought I may actually start to believe it). First time to do "dining in the dark" (A local resturant called Blind offers this experience. We ordered and then were taken to a completely dark dining room. My chicken came pre-cut, so the eating part was not too difficult. It was a neat experience, but not one I would want to do frequently.) Finally, first time I did an Indonesian tongue twister.
Yesterday (my Sunday) I went hiking into an area outside of Bandung that has caves the Japanese used during WWII and then hiked up to see a waterfall. It was beautiful but I can feel all those hills today.
Yesterday was also Idul Friti (holiday celebrating end of Ramadan). On Saturday night, a group of us went to Dago Tea House for dinner. It had private huts with a platform to sit with a low table. I had sate ayam (which is grilled chicken with peanut sauce--very tasty). It was located on the top of a hill and we could hear all the city's calls to prayer. The eve of Idul Friti is very festive and we could see lots of fireworks that people set off and the drive back to the hotel was though streets full of families. While I normally see motorbikes with an abundance of people, on Saturday most of the bikes had entire families as people travelled to be with extended family. All night I could hear music and fireworks from my hotel room (don't worry, it didn't keep me awake).
Now, a little more on culture. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, religion is a key component of life in Indonesia. There are five recognized religions: Islam, Judaism, Christianity (both Protestant and Catholic), Hinduism, and Buddhism. One's religion is listed on ID cards and while it is not entirely clear, I am pretty sure if you live here, you must be one of these religions (at least officially). Now, if you were living here, you can simply list yourself as whatever and no one checks up to be sure you actually believe such and such. There is also no civil ceremony for marriage here--all marriage must be performed by a religious official and only people of the same religion can marry. We asked what happens when two people of different faiths fall in love and were told that does occasionally happen. The couple must travel outside the country to marry (Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, etc). So, obviously, if you are not fairly wealthy marriage outside your religion is not an option. Conversion is possible, so I guess that is an option.
I didn't do a lot this week (we do get the mall pretty frequently), but here is the continuation of Cassandra's Firsts:
First time I participated in a traditional Indonesian birthday ritual (apparently, children here throw eggs and flour at the birthday boy or girl [it is a ritual for kids only, I think] to celebrate birthdays, I am not sure about the purpose, but one of the guys had a birthday and thought this would be fun, so some of the others did it, I only watched). First time I peer taught (like I said earlier, it went fine and I am pretty sure I can handle a class of Indonesian teenagers, if I say that enought I may actually start to believe it). First time to do "dining in the dark" (A local resturant called Blind offers this experience. We ordered and then were taken to a completely dark dining room. My chicken came pre-cut, so the eating part was not too difficult. It was a neat experience, but not one I would want to do frequently.) Finally, first time I did an Indonesian tongue twister.
For your amusement, an Indonesian tongue twister:
Kuku Kaki Kakak-kakakku
Kaku-kaku Kena
Kuku Kaki Kuda
It translates as:
Toenail Older Sibling
Stiff "Gotcha"
Horse Hoof
I know it makes no sense, I don't think it is suppose to. But there you go. Oh, another interesting piece of language trivia--the slang term for breasts is "buah dada" which means, wait for it, chest fruit or fruit of the chest.
We have tomorrow (Tuesday) off. Idul Friti was originally thought to be on Tuesday. I have not gotten a clear answer on why the date was uncertain, but Idul Friti was not definitely on Sunday until Saturday. Perhaps the moon has to be in a certain position because the Muslim calendar is lunar, but I honestly have no idea. But we still have Tuesday off, so whatever. On Wednesday our counterparts (the teachers we are assisting) arrive in Bandung. We have a couple days of seminars with them and then we travel with them to our sites on Saturday morning.
That's all for now. Have a great week!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Check Back! Sorry.
Okay, so once again it is late on Sunday night and I am too tired to blog. I went hiking today and while it was beautiful and I saw a very nice waterfall, I am exhausted. I will try again tomorrow, so check back Monday morning (if it is not there, check on Tuesday). I promise I will get it posted. Cassandra
Monday, September 14, 2009
New Post Below Ma'af Post
I did post a new blog, but because I started the draft before posting the explaination of why it was delayed it shows up below the Ma'af entry. Do not despair if you are looking for it, just scroll down. Thanks, Cassie
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Ma'af (Sorry in Indonesian)
I have written my blog post, but I am too tired to type it all. I will post it tomorrow night--which will be Monday morning for you. I found a site to watch the one TV show I didn't want to miss--Sons of Anarchy (a show on FX, not for everyone, but I love it). But the connection was so bad that it played for 3-5 seconds and froze for 3-10 seconds. A 45 min. show took 2 and half hours to watch. So I studied Bahasa and wrote my blog while watching it. Sorry for the delay and now I am off to bed.
Orientation in Bandung
So, quite a busy week. We have had a full week of language classes and teacher training. While I realize that these classes are important, I cannot say that I enjoy them. We begin at 8 am (I get up at 6 am to get ready and have breakfast and anyone who knows me realizes how unnatural that is for me), break at 12 pm for lunch, restart at 1 pm, and go again until 4 or 4:30 pm. It is all in one room for me with no windows (the room is nice, but sunlight would help to keep me awake). All together that equals monotony.
The one really interesting activity of training was a school visit on Tuesday morning. We were split into groups based on the type of school in which we will be teaching. I will be in a state high school (students compete to get into state high schools because it has little cost--private schools do not necessarily have high standards). I Googled my school and it seems like a very nice school (fingers crossed). Others will be in religious, vocational, or private schools.
I was pleasantly surprised by the school I visited. The grounds were pleasant and the people friendly. The lady that guided us though the school told us there were 1500 students with 40-45 students in about 30 classes. Generally, in Indonesia students stay in one classroom and the teachers move from class to class. Just as an interesting aside, no religion is not an option in Indonesia. Religion is a required subject in whatever religion you worship. If you happen to be a minority in your area, a teacher will be found for you (or so we were told). Secularism is a foreign concept here.
We had been warned that English teachers frequently graduate without actually speaking English. So, often English classes consist of no more than learning grammar out of a textbook. I was afraid that the students would speak no English, but in the classes we visited they did well.
The classes were shorter than normal because of Ramadan and the majority of the students and teachers were fasting. There were students practicing for the Haji (the trip to Mecca that all Muslims are called to perform if able). This is only practiced during Ramadan and is not a usual activity. I had never thought about people practicing for the Haji. When traveling it is amazing how much you come across that you had never even considered before.
Ramadan began on August 21 and ends in about a week. It is the holy month for Muslims and is a time of fasting. (Ramadan falls at a different time every year as it is celebrated on the original Muslim calendar, not the modern calendar.) The celebration at the end of Ramadan is the equivalent in many ways to Christmas. Ramadan has not really affected us too much because we are not expected to fast. It is considered impolite to consume food or drink in public, but we are in the hotel were it doesn't matter as much. Restaurants will cover windows to be polite. Muslims eat and drink before sunrise and then break their fast at sunset. On Thursday evening, AMINEF arranged for us to celebrate the end of the daily fast with a speaker and buffet. The speaker was an extremely interesting Indonesian woman who just returned a few months ago from teaching in the States on a Fulbright grant (the Fulbright has many different programs). She discussed the purpose of Ramadan--people fast to understand the plight of the poor and have empathy for those who are hungry--and her experience as a Muslim woman.
On Saturday we visited Suang Angklung Udjo--a foundation that provides musical training and gives performances of traditional Javanese music and dance. Part of the show consists in teaching the audience how to play the angklung--a traditional instrument made of bamboo. It was a lot of fun.
Bandang is a nice city but there are many things that take some getting used to: the smell and lack of crosswalks are right at the top of my list. Motorcycles are everywhere and are often the family vehicle. Today I saw one with a dad, mom, toddler, and baby. (And just to be clear, these are not large bikes, mostly mopeds). Driving around (even as a passenger) is nerve-wrecking as cars, people, buses, and bikes swarm everywhere. Distance between cars is non-existent and the most aggressive wins.
Now to the featured part of my blog: Cassandra's Firsts
First time to eat grilled rice (I didn't like it because it had coconut and I am not a fan); first time to try durian (previously mentioned in the blog, it is a very pungent fruit--I gagged, no more need to be said); first time to eat a mangostein (we learned about this fruit in language class and our teacher kindly brought some in for us to try--not related to mango, taste reminded me of a peach although it looked very different); first time to sing a song in Indonesian (called Lupa-lupa Ingat, its an extremely catchy song about forgetting lyrics but remembering the chords--here is a link to the YouTube video http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K3VYxdsAI8 --it is a fun song, but as a heads up, the band's look is best described as a funky Kiss--our language teacher told us that to be famous you need to be beautiful or crazy, you can see which one they chose); first time to try Hookah (never did it in the States--it was okay); first time to play an angklung (fun!). Since my blog is a day late, I can add two more things from today. I tried snake fruit (so called because of its scaly peel, once you start to chew the taste is fine, but I can't overcome the initial waxy texture of the fruit). Finally, first time at a coffee tasting (I do not drink coffee, but some of us had been invited by one of the hotel employees to a local Starbucks where a friend worked--I tried the two coffees offered, but I was not converted to the coffee drinker club).
Well, that's all for now. Wish me luck with another week of training.
The one really interesting activity of training was a school visit on Tuesday morning. We were split into groups based on the type of school in which we will be teaching. I will be in a state high school (students compete to get into state high schools because it has little cost--private schools do not necessarily have high standards). I Googled my school and it seems like a very nice school (fingers crossed). Others will be in religious, vocational, or private schools.
I was pleasantly surprised by the school I visited. The grounds were pleasant and the people friendly. The lady that guided us though the school told us there were 1500 students with 40-45 students in about 30 classes. Generally, in Indonesia students stay in one classroom and the teachers move from class to class. Just as an interesting aside, no religion is not an option in Indonesia. Religion is a required subject in whatever religion you worship. If you happen to be a minority in your area, a teacher will be found for you (or so we were told). Secularism is a foreign concept here.
We had been warned that English teachers frequently graduate without actually speaking English. So, often English classes consist of no more than learning grammar out of a textbook. I was afraid that the students would speak no English, but in the classes we visited they did well.
The classes were shorter than normal because of Ramadan and the majority of the students and teachers were fasting. There were students practicing for the Haji (the trip to Mecca that all Muslims are called to perform if able). This is only practiced during Ramadan and is not a usual activity. I had never thought about people practicing for the Haji. When traveling it is amazing how much you come across that you had never even considered before.
Ramadan began on August 21 and ends in about a week. It is the holy month for Muslims and is a time of fasting. (Ramadan falls at a different time every year as it is celebrated on the original Muslim calendar, not the modern calendar.) The celebration at the end of Ramadan is the equivalent in many ways to Christmas. Ramadan has not really affected us too much because we are not expected to fast. It is considered impolite to consume food or drink in public, but we are in the hotel were it doesn't matter as much. Restaurants will cover windows to be polite. Muslims eat and drink before sunrise and then break their fast at sunset. On Thursday evening, AMINEF arranged for us to celebrate the end of the daily fast with a speaker and buffet. The speaker was an extremely interesting Indonesian woman who just returned a few months ago from teaching in the States on a Fulbright grant (the Fulbright has many different programs). She discussed the purpose of Ramadan--people fast to understand the plight of the poor and have empathy for those who are hungry--and her experience as a Muslim woman.
On Saturday we visited Suang Angklung Udjo--a foundation that provides musical training and gives performances of traditional Javanese music and dance. Part of the show consists in teaching the audience how to play the angklung--a traditional instrument made of bamboo. It was a lot of fun.
Bandang is a nice city but there are many things that take some getting used to: the smell and lack of crosswalks are right at the top of my list. Motorcycles are everywhere and are often the family vehicle. Today I saw one with a dad, mom, toddler, and baby. (And just to be clear, these are not large bikes, mostly mopeds). Driving around (even as a passenger) is nerve-wrecking as cars, people, buses, and bikes swarm everywhere. Distance between cars is non-existent and the most aggressive wins.
Now to the featured part of my blog: Cassandra's Firsts
First time to eat grilled rice (I didn't like it because it had coconut and I am not a fan); first time to try durian (previously mentioned in the blog, it is a very pungent fruit--I gagged, no more need to be said); first time to eat a mangostein (we learned about this fruit in language class and our teacher kindly brought some in for us to try--not related to mango, taste reminded me of a peach although it looked very different); first time to sing a song in Indonesian (called Lupa-lupa Ingat, its an extremely catchy song about forgetting lyrics but remembering the chords--here is a link to the YouTube video http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K3VYxdsAI8 --it is a fun song, but as a heads up, the band's look is best described as a funky Kiss--our language teacher told us that to be famous you need to be beautiful or crazy, you can see which one they chose); first time to try Hookah (never did it in the States--it was okay); first time to play an angklung (fun!). Since my blog is a day late, I can add two more things from today. I tried snake fruit (so called because of its scaly peel, once you start to chew the taste is fine, but I can't overcome the initial waxy texture of the fruit). Finally, first time at a coffee tasting (I do not drink coffee, but some of us had been invited by one of the hotel employees to a local Starbucks where a friend worked--I tried the two coffees offered, but I was not converted to the coffee drinker club).
Well, that's all for now. Wish me luck with another week of training.
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